Pitchfork

On Let's Get Out of This Country, Tracyanne Campbell proved she could do just fine without co-vocalist (and now ex-member) John Henderson in his traditional supporting role. Still, the male vocal presence that allowed for lovely duets like "Before You Cry" and "Lunar Sea" was occasionally missed-- and apparently not just by the fans. So, on this slinky noir B-side from Country's third single "If Looks Could Kill", the band's hulking, sweet-faced guitarist Kenny McKeeve steps cautiously into Henderson's scuffy shoes.

Relating a freshly terminated affair to a hostage crisis, the song unfolds over wet, reverbed stabs of guitar and a walking bassline, with Campbell in her usual mode-- heartsick but resolute. McKeeve assumes the role of the stalkerish paramour, lurking at the receiving end of Campbell's poisoned valentines and drowning in recrimination and self-hate: "I only hate you 'cause I hate myself," he sings in a coy croon that closely resembles Henderson's. But Campbell's having none of it: "Give me back my boots, you swine," she sings with saccharine malice, reminding us yet again who wears the boots in this band.